As we get closer to the middle of September the first notes of fall have started to appear. Simple changes in the ways the clouds look, a few leaves turning, flowers reaching for the last bit of warm sun and more deer by the roadsides are all clues that in just a few weeks, we’ll be surrounded by glorious reds, yellows, golds and browns. Before that happens though, we plan to fully enjoy September! We’ve been “back to school” for several days with Betty Carlson’s Navajo Rug Weaving and Jo Campbell-Amsler’s Natural Fiber Baskets classes. The students are using simple elements of authentic wool yarns and gathered willow to create not-so-simple pieces. A version of this is posted in the Navajo Rug Weaving studio and we hope you […]
Fiber “Candy”
We definitely had a feast for the eyes, ears and necklines this past week with Mary Hettmansperger’s Expressions in Jewelry and Judith Yamamoto’s Japanese Temari Techniques classes in session. Although the materials and methods range from copper and hammers to fine threads and needles, the end results were equally inspiring and creative. Bringing out the colors in the brass and copper sheets, embossing, layering and adding found objects opened so many avenues to create personalized jewelry. I’m sure the jewelry boxes at home were excited to see their new companions! Wrapping a ball, marking “equators” or obi’s to form a grid and using traditional embroidery stitches yields these dazzling results, with the basket shown below on the right the Temari made […]
Weaving Patterns
There were a number of comments this past week from Rita Hagenbruch’s Overshot Odyssey class and Jeanette Biederman’s Choctaw Diagonal Basketry students how the woven patterns in each seemed to mirror each other. Starting with one plain length of reed or cotton, the intricate designs of each were built row by row. Most overshot is woven with a light-colored warp, but this blue on grey turned out splendidly! Basketry may look dangerous, but it’s not. (Until you get hooked on making them.) It’s good that digital cameras have no film…you can take as many photos as you wish of the beautiful weaving patterns in baskets and handwovens! We’re already on to our next classes with introductions held this afternoon for […]
Setting the table…Sievers style?
You could say the students set a “Sievers-style table” last week with (Dresden) plates and (Birch Bark) bowls created in class and what a lovely table it was! Let’s start with the plates as they came together, piece by piece in the Dresden Plate Inspirations class with Judy Hasheider.
Time to Bead and Weave!
Each day of Diane Fitzgerald’s Anything Goes…with Beads class had a special theme or focus (as posted on the easel in the studio) with of course, time set aside to work on individual projects, some of which incorporated the class “mascot”. We won’t focus on Friday (with sad face, shown above, signifying the last day of class and good-byes said for this year), but instead look back at some of what the students were doing on the six previous days. As the last beads were being stitched into fabulous jewelry, the first heddles were being threaded by the beginning table loom weavers. Instructor Nancy Frantz guided the students through the steps involved in weaving a small sampler that can be used as a runner. As […]
Making their mark
For the first week of August, Stephanie Robertson’s class made their marks on fabric by screen printing, indigo dyeing, ice dyeing, direct painting, foiling, experimenting and discovering each day. Each time we walked into the studio the pieces changed as step one led to step two, three, four…and more. The indigo works it’s magic on the odd, but carefully planned combinations of clips and folds and ties. Bright and colorful, with jellyfish or without, the fabrics tell stories and leave their mark within the walls of the Walter Studio. A sneak peek into the overlapping class, Diane Fitzgerald’s Anything Goes…With Beads shows one of their first points of focus: zippers. We can’t wait to share more in the next post!
Through July
It’s hard to believe we are approaching the half-way mark of our classes, but we’ve found ourselves there. Bringing us through the end of July were three classes which overlapped a day or two on each end, Lynn Schuster’s Boundweave Rug Weaving, Deb Jones’ Spinner’s Color Workshop and Susan Hoffmann’s Landscape ‘Painting’ with Fabric. We started with Boundweave Rugs and the gorgeous wools and colorful designs created by each of the students. One person was able to finish two rugs in class…a first in our recollection. (Some late hours were definitely involved. We wondered if she wove after the 2 a.m. timer on the outdoor lights went off. As some weavers know, that would not be a first!) While […]
Local Color
For the first few days on a walk over to the studio and finding no one there, the question was… where is Donna Kallner’s Local Color to Wear class going next? Off on field trips to Percy Johnson County Park, the Stavekirke, Jackson Harbor Ridges and more, students found in all those places the local color and photographs used in their class projects. The basis for learning, experimentation were their own photos, ones taken on the Island (like the bracelet above with the image of the Stavekirke roof as background), natural dyes, sun and thermofax screen printing on fabric. Combined with found natural materials, beads and stitches, the pieces took shape. A lavender-filled sachet, book covers, bracelets, pins, bookmarks and small art pieces, along with […]
